Similar to movies, television, and books, video games offer a way for people to escape reality. Whether it’s fighting dragons, training to become a Jedi, or trying to build a championship-winning sports team, games are particularly unique in that, not only do people get to experience something unlike their real lives, it’s done interactively. And, while any type of game checks the box of escapism, role-playing games are typically the go-to for players who truly want an immersive experience.

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For clarification, there are RPGs and JRPGs; while there are subtle differences between the two types, the biggest is where the game is developed. JRPGs are games developed in Japan and RPGs are typically developed in the West, or are just a general term for the genre.

A more distinctive RPG is called a Sandbox, meaning, these types of games allow you nearly complete control. There are virtually no rules on what you can do in the game, except maybe to have some fun. These are the best Sandbox RPGs out there to lose yourself in.

Updated April 5, 2022, by Avery Lawrence Feyrer: Because of the large-scale nature of the sandbox genre, we've updated this post to add more entries that highlight other amazing sandbox games.

13 Red Dead Redemption 2 - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC

red dead redemption2 arthur morgan on a horse in front of a ranch

The sequel to the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption and the third in the Red Dead series, Red Dead Redemption 2 actually operates as a prequel to its predecessor. You take the role of Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang. Rockstar’s game won four awards at the 2018 Game Awards, which was the most of any game.

While Red Dead Redemption 2 does in fact have an actual plot and main set of missions to complete, it’s considered a loose Sandbox RPG for its freedom to roam around the land, play cards, or rob settlements. There are rare animals to hunt in every corner of the map or serene fishing ponds to kick back after a long day. For Western fans, there aren’t many better ways to experience life in the Wild, Wild West than Red Dead Redemption 2.

12 Grand Theft Auto 5 - PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC

gta 5 guy shooting helicopter with rocket launcher

With how people play Grand Theft Auto, you’d be surprised to learn there actually is a main story in these games. Most of the time, players jump into the world of Grand Theft Auto to do quite literally anything they can’t possibly do in real-life: drive recklessly, participate in bank heists, build a gang, or just go sight-seeing around the fictional city of Los Santos, loosely based off Los Angeles.

Some complete story missions to obtain cash, cars, or guns to fuel any extra-curricular activities. That might sound like a drag, so luckily, Rockstar ensures players have access to cheat codes to further enhance the experience. With these codes handy, you can spend a limitless amount of time in Grand Theft Auto 5, cruising through the beats of single-player or experiencing the unexpected thrills of Grand Theft Auto Online.

11 Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Switch

pokemon legends arceus Cropped

Every Pokemon fan's dream since the game first launched in 1996 was a large sandbox area to freely explore and catch Pokemon. Sure, the linear design in collecting badges and taking down the Elite Four is a successful formula, but there was untapped potential in the franchise. Finally, Pokemon Legends: Arceus realized that dream and gave us a beautiful world brimming with life.

After falling from the sky and waking up on a beach in the Hisui region, you quickly become part of the Galaxy Team of the Survey Corps. Just like other Pokemon games, you're tasked with completing the Pokedex, though, this Pokedex requires you to do a bit more than simply catch Pokemon. There are other tasks involved, like catching them multiple times or using various berries to distract them first. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is unique to the series because it's the first to have absolutely zero random encounters, you can see all the Pokemon grazing in the wild, and you don't necessarily have to battle them to catch them. This is the first true sandbox Pokemon game in the series, and based on the overwhelming praise for it, it's a good bet that Game Freak will continue developing open-world Pokemon games.

10 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild - Switch

zelda breath of the wild link looking onto hyrule

When Nintendo released its latest console, the Nintendo Switch, the company made sure to pair it with one of its biggest franchises in history. The launch of Zelda: Breath of the Wild effectively changed the landscape of RPGs and introduced or re-imagined incredible in-game mechanics, like being able to climb anywhere, weapon degradation, stamina wheel, and flight. But the biggest feature of the game was the ability to challenge the villainous Ganon immediately.

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Known as Calamity Ganon, this monstrous, evil spirit resides in Hyrule Castle attempting to regain his physical form. After Link awakens from essentially a 100-year coma, he finds Hyrule in disarray and the other four Champions dead, and the Divine Beasts under Ganon’s control.

In normal Zelda fashion, Link would free each Champion from Ganon, leveling up and acquiring new weapons and abilities along the way, and then face the ultimate test, Calamity Ganon, at the end. But where’s the fun in that? If you’re up for the challenge, Breath of the Wild allows you to go straight to Hyrule Castle to fight Calamity Ganon. Seeing that it’s possible to beat the game right after the opening credits, there’s very little restriction Breath of the Wild gives players.

9 Divinity: Original Sin 2 - PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, PC, iOS

divinity original sin 2

Following the success of Divinity: Original Sin in 2014, developer Larian Studios launched its sequel to much delight. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is set centuries after its predecessor in the fantasy world of Rivellon. Before starting your magical adventure, you have the choice between six pre-established characters with backstories or have the ability to fully create your own custom hero. Divinity: Original Sin 2 can be played solo or with a team of up to four players, though there is a mod to increase the team size on PC.

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Divinity: Original 2 received tremendous praise and was an instant success upon launch. The immersive world full of colorful, intriguing characters makes Rivellon feel alive. There are countless side quests that you'll easily lose yourself along the way to preventing the Void from dissipating. The combat is a strategic point and click with many different tactics to employ depending if you're a long-range, physical, or magic user. Divinity: Original Sin 2 offers everything and more for people looking to begin a new life in a magical land.

8 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, PC

skyrim shooting a dragon

If someone rattled off the best RPGs in history, they'd be remiss to not include Skyrim. The fifth main entry in The Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim presents a massive world for you to explore, full of wondrous discoveries, terrifying beasts, and glory to be had. Skyrim is set 201 years after the events of its predecessor, Oblivion, though there is no relation between the two, similar to Final Fantasy games. After picking one of ten races, you assume the role of the Dragonborn and are tasked with slaying a dragon that's hellbent on destroying the world, Alduin the World-Eater.

Since Skyrim's initial launch in 2011, the game has seen so many remastered and upgraded versions it's become a meme in the industry. With an updated version of the game, Anniversary Edition, available on PS5 and Xbox Series, Skyrim has now graced three console generations. Though, if you want maximum control of the sandbox, you may want to opt to play the game on PC, where a wealth of user-created mods let you customize your game far beyond the limits of the original release.

7 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X, PC

the witcher 3 geralt using igni against a fiend

Launched in 2015, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the final game in Geralt's journey. The game follows the monster hunter as he and his mentor Vesemir try to track down Geralt's former lover Yennifer. Once they find Yennifer, Geralt is tasked with finding his adopted daughter, Ciri, and helping her defeat the villainous White Frost.

The world of The Witcher 3 is vast and full of all kinds of monsters salivating at the thought of tearing Geralt apart. While there is the main questline to follow, there are numerous side quests that flesh out the world in many ways. The Witcher 3 is considered by many to be one of the best sandbox RPGs ever made and is a must-play for fans of the genre.

6 No Man’s Sky - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X, PC, Android

no mans sky

Launched initially in 2016, No Man’s Sky suffered a rather bumpy early showing out of the gate. While many praised the game’s desire for exploration and survival among the stars, the gameplay was extremely repetitive and somewhat unfulfilling. People were also taken aback by several missing or non-functional features that were supposed to be in the game, mainly in the multiplayer department.

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However, director Sean Murray and Hello Games have worked hard at improving the overall quality and experience of the game. They’ve created free expansive content updates that have pushed the game closer to its original goal, including new features like cross-platform play, base-building, and VR support. Six years after launch, the game is in the best shape it's ever been, offering plenty of reasons for new and returning players to explore its procedurally generated world.

5 The Sims 4 - PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series, PC

sims 4 crazy party

When thinking about life simulators, one of the first franchises that come to mind is The Sims. First launched on Windows in 2014, The Sims 4 has since been ported to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Without a true main story or objective, The Sims 4 tasks players with simply existing and interacting with the environment. If there’s one thing you’ll need to excel at, it would be decision-making because there’s a whole lot of that.

You have the choice of creating your own unique Sims character and family or using a pre-existing one. There are seven stages in a Sims life: baby, toddler, child, teenage, young adult, adult, and elder. Unlike previous Sims iterations, there aren’t any clothing restrictions and all options are available. An update in 2016 allowed all haircuts and outfits to be worn by any Sim, adding more inclusion for gender-fluid characters. The Sims franchise remains a staple in the sandbox RPG genre.

4 Terraria - PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series, Vita, 3DS, Wii U, Switch, Stadia, Android, iOS, PC

terraria mining for resources with a giant eyeball looking at you

For players looking to stick to their 2-D roots, look no further than Terraria. Developed by Re-Logic, Terraria tasks players with, essentially, one basic mission: survive. Terraria’s gameplay consists of moving about the environment, mining resources, building castles, battling all types of enemies, and crafting various weapons and tools.

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Terraria offers different game modes, Expert and Master, to present more of a challenge for seasoned players. A sequel was planned that would have been quite different from the original but was canceled in 2018. Regardless, Terraria offers complete freedom to explore the world in any way you can imagine, and with the ability to increase the game’s difficulty, makes it one of the best 2-D sandbox RPGs in history.

3 Stardew Valley - PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, Vita, Android, iOS, PC

stardew valley arriving at farm

Stardew Valley begins with the player receiving ownership of their late grandfather’s small house and plot of land in Pelican Town. Sick of city life, you venture out and start on the hard journey of building your farm, raising livestock, interacting with the townsfolk, and enjoy a simpler life.

The game is open-ended, allowing you to live out your dreams of running a farm until your heart’s content. Another feature in Stardew Valley is getting married and eventually having children. There’s quite a bit that goes into this moment, including the fear of the supernatural. All in all, Stardew Valley is a peaceful experience where one can truly lose themselves.

2 Elden Ring - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X, PC

elden ring Cropped

Part of the Soulsborne subgenre, Elden Ring is considered by some to not only be the best game of 2022, but quite possibly the best game ever created. In The Lands Between, the great Elden Ring has broken into various pieces and is absorbed by demigods across the land. These demigods grew more terrible in power and The Lands Between was overrun by monsters of all kinds. Waking up in a cave, you are known as a Tarnished, capable of seeing the Grace in the land and thus, being one of the few who can restore the Elden Ring and become Elden Lord.

While there have been speedrunners who can finish the game in about three hours, players have spent countless hours exploring The Lands Between. The map of the game is ginormous, each time you unlock a bit of the map, there's even more to explore. Even now, people are still finding hidden dungeons and secrets that haven't been discovered before. Sure, the ultimate goal is to defeat the demigods and restore the Elden Ring, but the true beauty of the game is simply riding around on Torrent and seeing what new surprises are around each corner.

1 Minecraft - PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series, 3DS, Wii U, Switch, Vita, Android, iOS, PC

minecraft

There’s only one rule in Minecraft: there are no rules. Across an infinite world, you have the limitless freedom to do basically anything. Most players may partake in the Survival mode, mining resources to craft items and build a shelter to survive when monsters spawn at night. But others prefer the Creative mode, where you have access to all the resources in the game to freely build literally anything.

Players have created incredible structures and buildings in Minecraft. There’s an untapped potential hidden amongst the blocks that continue to be discovered because of the limitless freedoms offered. The definition of a sandbox RPG is giving the players nearly complete control to experience the game and Minecraft exceeds that requirement. Not only is Minecraft the definitive sandbox RPG, but also, one of the most impactful games in history.

NEXT: Minecraft: Fastest Speedruns